IN YOUR CORNER 2/12/00

Some years ago the Taxpayers Association worked very closely with the =

county administration. We met with department heads while the budgets =

were being constructed and made suggestions. We sat in with the =

administrative team that reviewed some of the budgets. We did help save =

Taxpayer money.

Currently there is no opportunity for citizen review of any budget until =

the budget process is near completion, 3 weeks before it must be =

finalized. There is no citizen review of any action proposed by the =

administration. The County Commission is supposed to represent Taxpayers =

in the budget process and they do perform this function to some degree, =

but they cannot be expected to perform last minute miracles

Martin County is blessed with a number of very capable retirees, among =

them experts on almost anything you can name. The Commissioners, who are =

not necessarily budget experts, have seen fit to ignore this asset, to =

the detriment of the Taxpayers who support a county operations budget =

that has grown much faster than the population. With your help we may be =

able to change this attitude, and here is what we propose to do.

During the past year we have pointed out, in this column, mistakes made =

by our county government. We had plenty of material to work with, but =

our purpose is not to write a column. Instead, our purpose is to promote =

better and more efficient government. We would really like to have =

nothing but dull good government to write about.

We would like to get our members and other interested Taxpayers involved =

in the basic decisions that involve spending our money. We would like to =

take part in budget decisions while the budgets are being created; the =

idea that meaningful changes can be made during public hearings that =

occur days before the budget must be adopted is ridiculous. We think our =

expert members can bring a business viewpoint to county government.

Our main objective is still to introduce the zero based budgeting =

procedure to county government. Commissioners and administrators have =

stated many reasons for not using this procedure, while government =

expense has grown far faster than the population. One commissioner =

publicly lamented the lack of justification in departmental budgets, a =

problem zero base would solve, but the latest so-called zero based =

budget effort with two departments was no more than a conscious effort =

to discredit the zero based process. Since nothing else has managed to =

reduce the budget, we do not understand why the commission is unwilling =

to try something that has had 40 years of success. The only problem is =

that it might make a few people look stupid, but that would be a small =

price to pay for lower taxes.=20

The problems in county government go deeper than the budget format. We =

have come up with a some suggestions of other areas where we think we =

could help create or improve useful procedures and controls. These are:

A cost versus benefits procedure to justify all litigation, proposed and =

ongoing, which might have saved the taxpayers in the county and in =

Stuart a bundle.

A comprehensive and very public procedure to be used before any property =

is purchased or accepted as a gift, which if properly done would have =

saved another bundle over the past few years.

A better procedure to justify all capital expenditures. Some of these =

have not been handled too well and we think some public input would have =

helped.

An objective justification for all new hires, outlining exactly why the =

job cannot be done by the present staff.

An exit review for all employees who leave county employment to help =

understand this attrition which has cost the county a number of good =

people.

A better way to use citizen advisory committees. A Privitization Study =

group met weekly for months and developed a number of study programs, =

not one of which has even been discussed.=20

We think creative thinking in Martin County has been stifled by =

commissioners who will not listen to anything that does not agree with =

their preconceived ideas. County staffers know this and would rather =

keep their ideas quiet than risk public censure. A few Taxpayers with no =

private agenda and no need to cater to the commissioners could give good =

advice and back it up with suggestions for action. County government has =

not only grown more than we believe is necessary, but received a grade =

of C in a recent poll. We think our members and other taxpayers have a =

lot to give, and the administration needs the help. Working together we =

may be able to make this column nothing more than a report on good =

things.

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<DIV><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">

<P>IN YOUR CORNER</P>

<P>Some years ago the Taxpayers Association worked very closely with the =

county=20

administration. We met with department heads while the budgets were =

being=20

constructed and made suggestions. We sat in with the administrative team =

that=20

reviewed some of the budgets. We did help save Taxpayer money.</P>

<P>Currently there is no opportunity for citizen review of any budget =

until the=20

budget process is near completion, 3 weeks before it must be finalized. =

There is=20

no citizen review of any action proposed by the administration. The =

County=20

Commission is supposed to represent Taxpayers in the budget process and =

they do=20

perform this function to some degree, but they cannot be expected to =

perform=20

last minute miracles</P>

<P>Martin County is blessed with a number of very capable retirees, =

among them=20

experts on almost anything you can name. The Commissioners, who are not=20

necessarily budget experts, have seen fit to ignore this asset, to the =

detriment=20

of the Taxpayers who support a county operations budget that has grown =

much=20

faster than the population. With your help we may be able to change this =

attitude, and here is what we propose to do.</P>

<P>During the past year we have pointed out, in this column, mistakes =

made by=20

our county government. We had plenty of material to work with, but our =

purpose=20

is not to write a column. Instead, our purpose is to promote better and =

more=20

efficient government. We would really like to have nothing but dull good =

government to write about.</P>

<P>We would like to get our members and other interested Taxpayers =

involved in=20

the basic decisions that involve spending our money. We would like to =

take part=20

in budget decisions while the budgets are being created; the idea that=20

meaningful changes can be made during public hearings that occur days =

before the=20

budget must be adopted is ridiculous. We think our expert members can =

bring a=20

business viewpoint to county government.</P>

<P>Our main objective is still to introduce the zero based budgeting =

procedure=20

to county government. Commissioners and administrators have stated many =

reasons=20

for not using this procedure, while government expense has grown far =

faster than=20

the population. One commissioner publicly lamented the lack of =

justification in=20

departmental budgets, a problem zero base would solve, but the latest =

so-called=20

zero based budget effort with two departments was no more than a =

conscious=20

effort to discredit the zero based process. Since nothing else has =

managed to=20

reduce the budget, we do not understand why the commission is unwilling =

to try=20

something that has had 40 years of success. The only problem is that it =

might=20

make a few people look stupid, but that would be a small price to pay =

for lower=20

taxes. </P>

<P>The problems in county government go deeper than the budget format. =

We have=20

come up with a some suggestions of other areas where we think we could =

help=20

create or improve useful procedures and controls. These are:</P>

<DIR>

<P>A cost versus benefits procedure to justify all litigation, proposed =

and=20

ongoing, which might have saved the taxpayers in the county and in =

Stuart a=20

bundle.</P>

<P>A comprehensive and very public procedure to be used before any =

property is=20

purchased or accepted as a gift, which if properly done would have saved =

another=20

bundle over the past few years.</P>

<P>A better procedure to justify all capital expenditures. Some of these =

have=20

not been handled too well and we think some public input would have =

helped.</P>

<P>An objective justification for all new hires, outlining exactly why =

the job=20

cannot be done by the present staff.</P>

<P>An exit review for all employees who leave county employment to help=20

understand this attrition which has cost the county a number of good =

people.</P>

<P>A better way to use citizen advisory committees. A Privitization =

Study group=20

met weekly for months and developed a number of study programs, not one =

of which=20

has even been discussed. </P></DIR>

<P>We think creative thinking in Martin County has been stifled by =

commissioners=20

who will not listen to anything that does not agree with their =

preconceived=20

ideas. County staffers know this and would rather keep their ideas quiet =

than=20

risk public censure. A few Taxpayers with no private agenda and no need =

to cater=20

to the commissioners could give good advice and back it up with =

suggestions for=20

action. County government has not only grown more than we believe is =

necessary,=20

but received a grade of C in a recent poll. We think our members and =

other=20

taxpayers have a lot to give, and the administration needs the help. =

Working=20

together we may be able to make this column nothing more than a report =

on good=20

things.</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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